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Levels & Directions

Third graders explore how dancers use space — moving at high, middle, and low levels, and in different directions — to make their dances more interesting and expressive.

Grade 3Space40 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain dance levels.
  • ✓Move in different directions.
  • ✓Use space.
  • ✓Add variety to dance.
Essential Question

A dancer can crouch down low, stand in the middle, or reach up high — and move forward, back, or sideways. How do dancers use levels and directions in space?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Levels & Directions Check

Project each item and have students answer about levels and directions in dance. The tool explains high, middle, and low.

💃 Understand levels & directionsTry it
Answer each question about levels and directions.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — High, Middle, Low

5 min

A dancer can go low, middle, or high — how do levels change a dance?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show low/middle/high poses.
  • Ask what changed.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Notice.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore Space

9 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Levels & Directions Check.
  • Note the levels.
  • Try directions.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note levels.
  • Try them.
3

Create — Create

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Move at each level.
  • Move in each direction.
  • Combine them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move levels.
  • Move directions.
  • Combine.
4

Perform — Perform

8 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform using levels.
  • Change directions.
  • Give kind feedback.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Change it.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a level.
  • Name a direction.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance).

NCAS
DA:Pr4.1.3

Use levels and directions in space.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.3

Explore spatial movement ideas.

NCAS
DA:Pr5.1.3

Demonstrate movement in space.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.3

Describe how space is used in dance.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Level + direction cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I move ___.”
  • Demonstrate levels.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with high vs. low.
  • Show each level.
  • Try one direction.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Create a phrase changing levels.
  • Add pathways.
  • Describe a dance’s use of space.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 💃Level pose cards
  • 💻Levels & Directions Check
  • 👟Open space
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

levelhow high or low you movehigh levelmoving up tall, on tiptoesmiddle levelmoving at standing heightlow levelmoving near the floordirectionthe way you travel or faceforwardmoving aheadbackwardmoving behindspacethe area you dance in
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a low level in dance?
Moving down near the floor — crouching, crawling, or rolling.
QUESTION 2
What is a high level in dance?
Reaching or moving up tall, like on your tiptoes.
QUESTION 3
Name one direction you can move in dance.
Forward, backward, or side to side.

Reflect: use the space.

Have students make a short dance that uses a low, a middle, and a high level. A printable levels sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Levels & DirectionsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Levels & DirectionsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Levels & DirectionsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: backward, direction, forward, high level, level, low level, middle level, space
  1. the way you travel or face
  2. the area you dance in
  3. moving near the floor
  4. moving ahead
  5. how high or low you move
  6. moving at standing height
  7. moving up tall, on tiptoes
  8. moving behind

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a low level in dance?
  2. What is a high level in dance?
  3. Name one direction you can move in dance.
Answer key — Part A: 1) direction · 2) space · 3) low level · 4) forward · 5) level · 6) middle level · 7) high level · 8) backward
Part B: 1) Moving down near the floor — crouching, crawling, or rolling. 2) Reaching or moving up tall, like on your tiptoes. 3) Forward, backward, or side to side.